The Level 3 Diploma prepares learners to become Early Years Educators, enabling them to work with children from birth to 5 years, and gain knowledge of children aged 5-7 years. It is for those who work in the Early Years Workforce and will cover a diverse range of job roles and occupational areas working in statutory, private and voluntary settings.

To gain this qualification the learners will need to complete 23 mandatory units and a longitudinal study. Workplace experience is required across a range of all ages, from birth to 5 years and you will need to demonstrate competence in at least two of the three age groups.

The units are structured around three themes:

• Theme 1: Health and well-being
• Theme 2: Legislation, frameworks and professional practice
• Theme 3: Play, development and learning for school readiness

The apprenticeship framework consists of a Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Workforce (EYE), Employers' Rights and Responsibilities and Level 2 Functional Skills in ICT and Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS).

How will it be delivered and assessed?

We want you to achieve to the very best of your ability at Cambridge Regional College. To make this happen we offer both learning and personal support by specialist staff tailored to meet your specific needs.
You will be assessed by a vocationally competent assessor who will support and help you gather a portfolio of evidence, using a range of methods.

This programme is delivered on site at both our Cambridge and Huntingdon campuses to support the underpinning knowledge of the qualification. Day Release at Cambridge is on a Friday and Huntingdon is on a Thursday. All resources will be available on our virtual learning environment (VLE) system and we use an electronic portfolio system called Smart Assessor.

Entry requirements

GCSE English and maths grade 4 (grade C) or Functional Skills level 2. Learners must be in the correct job role to provide evidence for a portfolio.
Remember, an apprenticeship is a job so the hiring employer may have additional criteria that will have to be met alongside CRC’s entry criteria. In addition to the entry qualifications listed, the offer of a place on the course is subject to the outcomes of initial assessment, which will be taken at the College as part of the admissions process. Please note that entry criteria may vary quite significantly between courses at the same level. This is to take account of the specific skills needed for success on particular courses, the length of the course and the requirements for progression to the next level. Entry criteria are given as a guide, and the exact requirements in order to obtain a place on a particular course will be confirmed following attendance at a Welcome Event/Interview.

Your next steps...

Upon achievement of this qualification learners will gain their licence to practise and it is intended that learners will be able to enter the workforce as Early Years Educators. Learners can progress into various job roles in the statutory, voluntary or private sectors such as:

• Assistant in Children's Centres
• Practitioner in day nurseries
• Practitioner in nursery schools
• Practitioner in reception classes in primary schools
• Pre-school worker

Learners can progress to the Foundation Degree in Early Years, Playwork and Education or the Level 4 Certificate for the Early Years Advanced Practitioner if you are in a management role.

To start an apprenticeship, you will need to secure a suitable apprenticeship job with an employer:

Find the apprenticeship programme that you are interested in and express an interest in it by completing an application on MyChoice@16 and you will be signed up to our job alerts to keep you up-to-date with all the latest apprenticeship job vacancies.

You can also search the latest apprenticeship vacancies on the listing on our website and apply for a job.

Once you have secured an apprenticeship job with an employer you will then be enrolled on the programme with the College.

It is recommended that you also apply for a full-time course as a back up just in case you are not able to source a suitable job in time for September.

For more courses like this, check our courses page.